Martek Launches World’s First Network-connected ECDIS

Posted by Eric Haun

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Photo: Martek

Innovative maritime electronics manufacturer, Martek Marine, releases its one-of-a-kind ECDIS offering to the market today. Named the iECDIS, Martek’s is the first model to integrate a GSM modem, offering automatic download and installation of charts, updates and notices to mariners, reducing the administrative burden associated with CD updates.

The GSM modem uses a mobile network signal to keep iECDIS up to date anywhere with mobile signal, even downloading the most recent piracy warnings and weather forecasts which can be instantly overlaid on the chart display itself.

Designed and built to military specification for ultimate durability, iECDIS is available on lease as well as outright purchase. This allows for a very flexible commercial model and gives the purchaser the option to try before buying. The cost saving from leasing can be transferred for system integration, crew training and chart licensing and means that vessels can always have the most advanced system on the market.

Bentley Strafford-Stephenson, ECDIS product specialist at Martek Marine, explained, “We’ve created a market-leading solution which combines cutting edge technology with a very lucrative commercial proposition and a system which mariners will want to use and ship managers will find easy to adopt. It’s a rugged piece of military spec hardware, powered by time-tested, trusted Jeppesen software, with features such as weather, radar, piracy and ice-chart overlays and route planning; it’ll have freely updatable charts and software updates which will only take minutes to upload. We’re offering iECDIS on a leased or purchased option with flexible licensing solutions. We’re developing comprehensive user training packages and, quite simply, it’s better than anything else on the market.”

Martek’s training and chart solutions, iTrain and iChart, will give owners peace of mind that their supplier is ensuring they comply with legislation and get the most from ECDIS. In addition, Martek’s maintenance plan, iServ, offers free hardware upgrades through easy hot-swapping of hardware, which ensures the lowest downtime for ships – maximizing vessel employment & earning potential.